5.0 50k miles overdue for oil change.

[Stang55]

It had full oil about 10k miles ago. Just checked again. The oil on the dipstick was surprisingly fluid and wiped off dark brown, but dipstick came back up bone dry after that.

Had a friend with a Mazda 6 who never changed his oil, he was like hey dude since you know so much about cars what’s this noise my car is making? Long story short we got him a refurbished engine, runs smooth as silk now. Changing your oil is cheaper than changing your engine. Just like changing brake pads is cheaper than changing your transmission.

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[DIB_GT]

can you post your vin# in the thread so potential future buyers can steer clear of your car...lol

No worries, I never plan to sell it. I bought it new intending it to eventually be a parts car for a restomod. I just need to keep a rod from going through the block for that purpose.

 

[DIB_GT]

Wow if its still running good then don't do anything drastic. You want to slow clean this thing back to health.

I would run a good cleaning oil like Mobil 1 Extended or Pennzoil Ultra. Run it on the highway as often as possible and let it get good and hot. Good synthetic oil will clean out sludge from the inside. Change the oil and filter every 2500 miles or so. Mainly so the filter does not clog up. Do this maybe 4 or 5 times. And like the poster above said, be ready for leaks to develop. There are probably dry spots inside the engine that have not seen oil in awhile.

This is the cheapest way to possibly save the engine without tearing it down and rebuilding.

I hadn't thought of slow cleaning it without a cleaner, but that's certainly an idea. I was going to do a flush with clean, cheap, oil cut 50% with diesel and a new filter idled up to temp, then another cheap oil change up to temp before draining, then royal purple and a good filter for actually driving. I then planned on swapping to Amsoil Signature with a new filter after about 500-1000 miles if it makes it. Would one of those cleaning oils work better than royal purple? My daily commute is about 100 miles round trip, all highway.

 

[DIB_GT]

This has to be a joke.

I shit you not.

 

[BMAGOO]

LOL !! This is a great thread ! I actually can’t believe what I am reading. I say just fill it up with Slick 50 and call it a day.

 

[K4fxd]

I'd get it good and hot, head over to a quick oil change place get it changed and should be good for another 50K.

 

[jwt]

First things first, just change the oil. Keep some for a sample, if you cant afford to pay for one i am sure enough of us are curious to chip in 5 bucks each just to see the result

If its that sludged then change with the cheapest oil you can find and the cheapest filter take if for a drive until hot and change a second time for some type of synthetic oil and a good filter. Dont sweat the super duper royal jelly oils, for this operation you are just looking at removing crap. If it was mine I would look for a high detergency oil possibly even a right weight diesel oil for the first change, walmarts cheapest synthetic for the second and drive it 500 to 1000 miles and change again. As others have said you don't want a clogged filter.

If you go down the route of a cleaner, engine flush, adding diesel etc you run the risk of loosening so much at once you clog galleries etc so slow and easy is the best option and see how it goes.

If you get it back to somewhat clean then apart from a tear down I'd suggest something like ceratec, not to repair anything but just to limit further wear if you have damage anywhere there are sliding surfaces. And all future changes done with synthetic and at non synthetic oil change intervals.

After that I'd start saving for a new engine.

John

 

[Rapid Red]

Skeptic here ........ from the OP too the magic cures..

OP if it has the slug you say, question what is being oiled, chunks do not flow well.

At 40K you saw brown oil on dipstick. I was born at night but not last night.

It is entertaining reading the fish that are getting reeled in.

 

[Bikeman315]

Skeptic here ........ from the OP too the magic cures..

OP if it has the slug you say, question what is being oiled, chunks do not flow well.

At 40K you saw brown oil on dipstick. I was born at night but not last night.

It is entertaining reading the fish that are getting reeled in.

Come on Greg, don't be a party pooper. I want to see the oil.

 

[DIB_GT]

Skeptic here ........ from the OP too the magic cures..

OP if it has the slug you say, question what is being oiled, chunks do not flow well.

At 40K you saw brown oil on dipstick. I was born at night but not last night.

It is entertaining reading the fish that are getting reeled in.

More of a black with a brown hue. I haven’t drained it yet, I plan to do it Friday. I think the presence of sludge is a safe assumption in my circumstance

This it what I wiped from the dipstick today before checking the oil level. The dipstick came back up bone dry.

 

[DIB_GT]

First things first, just change the oil. Keep some for a sample, if you cant afford to pay for one i am sure enough of us are curious to chip in 5 bucks each just to see the result

If its that sludged then change with the cheapest oil you can find and the cheapest filter take if for a drive until hot and change a second time for some type of synthetic oil and a good filter. Dont sweat the super duper royal jelly oils, for this operation you are just looking at removing crap. If it was mine I would look for a high detergency oil possibly even a right weight diesel oil for the first change, walmarts cheapest synthetic for the second and drive it 500 to 1000 miles and change again. As others have said you don't want a clogged filter.

If you go down the route of a cleaner, engine flush, adding diesel etc you run the risk of loosening so much at once you clog galleries etc so slow and easy is the best option and see how it goes.

If you get it back to somewhat clean then apart from a tear down I'd suggest something like ceratec, not to repair anything but just to limit further wear if you have damage anywhere there are sliding surfaces. And all future changes done with synthetic and at non synthetic oil change intervals.

After that I'd start saving for a new engine.

John

This is the kind of advice I was hoping for, thank you. I likely won’t flush the engine now.

I will definitely get an oil analysis and share it. I will also cut open the filter and share pics of the horror within, hopefully not too much metal.

 

[GP2017GT]

Okay confession time, because maybe OP is telling the truth. During the pandemic I forgot to do my annual maintenance on my riding lawnmower. My daughter was outside mowing the grass and heard this knock knock boom. I immediately knew what it was. Sheepish grin . Funny things happen when you don't change your oil for a very long time. Well... I was able to talk my wife into a new mower, instead of just replacing the motor. Maybe it really did happen. Who knows.

 

[DIB_GT]

Okay confession time, because maybe OP is telling the truth. During the pandemic I forgot to do my annual maintenance on my riding lawnmower. My daughter was outside mowing the grass and heard this knock knock boom. I immediately knew what it was. Sheepish grin . Funny things happen when you don't change your oil for a very long time. Well... I was able to talk my wife into a new mower, instead of just replacing the motor. Maybe it really did happen. Who knows.

I honestly wish it didn't. It's embarrassing as hell but I needed advice. I take ownership of my actions no matter how stupid or shameful, the disbelief and jabs are well warranted.

 

[kz]

Okay confession time, because maybe OP is telling the truth. During the pandemic I forgot to do my annual maintenance on my riding lawnmower. My daughter was outside mowing the grass and heard this knock knock boom. I immediately knew what it was. Sheepish grin . Funny things happen when you don't change your oil for a very long time. Well... I was able to talk my wife into a new mower, instead of just replacing the motor. Maybe it really did happen. Who knows.

Don't how much you mow but my yard is large enough to warrant a tractor but small enough that I have like 30 engine hours on it after 3 years. Year before I legit did not change oil on it (should be 100 hours / every year). It has Kawasaki V-twin engine and runs fine ;-)

 

[Bikeman315]

I honestly wish it didn't. It's embarrassing as hell but I needed advice. I take ownership of my actions no matter how stupid or shameful, the disbelief and jabs are well warranted.

OK, not changing your oil in 50K miles is one of the dumbest, stupidest, & most asinine things I have ever heard of in my 68 years.

That said, I love the fact that you had the cojones to come on here and ask for advise. I truly hope your car is fine and look forward to your future posts on car maintenance.

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